Dispensing container



Nov. 28, 1961 w. MACK DISPENSING CONTAINER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 12, 1960 1 L G m F 3 m b w w w g 2 8 m a s w q 0 1. 6 A f 1. .---I-l-{1|:i ilziiili 7 G h H m w 8 ..||l|l|l|.i.r l|||||llIllllllllllxlllllllllllllxl||Il 2 l INVENTOR. Ml/tam Mack FIG.6

BY 5. Mar

ATTORNEY N v- 28, 1 w. MACK 3,010,572

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Oct. 12, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 r FIG.3

41 38 'FIG.5

INVENTOR.

mZ/z'am Mic/C ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1961 w. MACK 3,010,572

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Oct. 12, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 x 44 46 49 47 47 X- X /f [6/4,

F|G.1O

FIG.9

F 8 INVENTOR.

BY MZ/z'am Mack and a. W

ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1961 w. MACK 3,01

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed 001;. 12, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 14

lg, I? I INVENTOR. BY mlliam Mac/t 6M.,-,' W

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,010,572 DISPENSING CONTAINER William Mack, 79-11 41st Ave., Elmhurst 73, N.Y. Filed Oct. 12, 1960, Ser. No. 62,135 13 Claims. (Cl. 20656) This invention relates to containers for dispensing the contents thereof, and more particularly, concerns containers for holding and dispensing cosmetic items such as lipsticks or the like.

In copending application Ser. No. 734,144, filed May 9, 1958, now Patent No. 2,969,142, applicant has disclosed a dispensing container such as a lipstick holder having an iris type closure. Such closure is associated with the mechanism for elevating and depressing the lipstick body relative to the container casing to bring the lipstick selectively to operative and inoperative positions.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved form of iris closure construction for dispensing containers and including improved clutch means for suitably coordinating the operation of the closure means and the dispensing means.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved dispensing container of the character described wherein the number of component parts have been reduced and their structure simplified so as to materially reduce fabrication and assembly costs, while improving the operation of the actuating elements upon using said container.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved iris type closure for the mouth of a dispensing container wherein the peripheral portion of the closure is tightly sealed against the rim of the container, in both the open and closed positions of the iris leaves, despite the differential thickness of the peripheral portions of this type of closure, as between the open and closed positions thereof.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a lipstick holder having an improved iris type closure whose operation is coordinated with themechanism for raising and lowering the lipstick relative to its casing, and including improved clutch means effective to permit independent operation of the raising and lower mechanism without injury to the iris closure or elements thereof.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide an improved lipstick holder having an iris type closure wherein the elements of the closure are of minimum size and compactly arranged so as to leave the normal bulk and design of the holder substantially unimpaired.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a lipstick holder embodying the invention, with parts in section;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial elevational view in section showing details of the iris closure, with the iris leaves in their closed position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to thatof FIG. 2, showing the iris leaves in their open position;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the iris leaf supporting ring;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a combination holder sleeve and his diaphragm closure supporting and actuating means;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 8 is a plan View of a clutch element forming a part of the device embodying the invention;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of an iris leaf of the diaphragm closure; 7 '7 FIG. 10 is an end view thereof;

line 55 in FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 1111 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a modified form of iris leaf;

FIG. 13 is a top plan view showing the closure actuating means, with parts broken away and parts in section, the iris leaves being shown in their closed position;

FIG. 14 is a view similar to that of FIG. 13, showing the iris leaves in their open position; FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the underside of a modified form of iris leaf; and FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing said leaf in mounted position.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to FIGS. 1-3, 10 designates a lipstick holder which comprises a tubular casing 11 closed at one end 12. Within casing 11 is located a member 13 for holding a lipstick body L, member 13 having radial lugs 14 struck out of the wall thereof for supporting body L.

The holder member 13 is arranged for raised and lowered movement within casing 11, by means of a cam sleeve 15 disposed immediately adjacent the inner surface of casing 11 and being formed with the usual spiral slot 16 for receiving a follower pin 17 projecting radially outward of a lower wall portion of holder 13 and integral therewith.

Interposed between holder 13 and cam sleeve 15 is a tubular member 18 which is formed on a wall portion thereof with an axial slot 19 through which pin 17 projects. It is understood that upon relative rotation of tubular member 18 and casing 11, holder 13 will be raised or lowered in accordance with the direction of rotation, in a manner known in the art. Member 18 may be formed with annular beads 18a, 1812 at the opposite ends thereof to retain cam sleeve 15 against axial movement.

Closure means is provided for the open end of casing 11; such closure means being of the iris diaphragm type and adapted to be actuated to open and closed positions thereof, in response to actuation of the holder 14 to its raised and lowered positions. Furthermore, such closure means is adapted to be fully opened or fully closed upon relative rotation between caisng 11 and tubular member 18 through a relatively small angle; the closure being fully open in advance of the raising of the holder 14, and being fully closed only after the holder 14 has been substantially depressed to its lowered position.

To this end, a cap member 20 is rotatably mounted on the open end of casing 11. The casing 11 comprises an outwardly flared upper portion 11a from which projects an annular shoulder 21, which in turn has an upstanding annular wall portion 22. Cap 20 includes a lower annular skirt portion 23 which overlaps casing wall portion 22. Cap 20 further includes an annular wall portion 24 above wall portion 23 and slightly reduced in diameter to form an annular shoulder 25 atthe juncture of wall portions 23, 24. A radial flange 26 terminating in an annular rolled edge 27 extends from the upper edge of wall portion 24.

Tubular member 18 includes at the upper end thereof an outwardly extending radial flange 28 whose peripheral edge 29 is force fitted into cap 20 at shoulder 25 thereof, whereby member 18 rotates with cap 20. As shown in'FIG. 7, flange 28 is formed with a plurality of uniformly spaced notches 30 and is further formed on its inner marginal portion with three equally spaced depressions 31 which open on flange edge 32. Each depression 31 includes a bottom wall 3-3 and upwardly diverging end walls 34, for the purpose hereinafter appearing. Also, flange 28 is formed with an arcuate slot 35 for the purpose later described.

An iris diaphragm type closure assembly, generally mounting ring 37, shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and formed with pivot openings 38 uniformly spaced about the circumference thereof and corresponding in number to notches 30 on flange 28. The outer edge of ring 37 is formed with a pair of notches 39 symmetrically related to each opening 38.

Furthermore, ring 37 includes three uniformly spaced tabs 40 depending from the inner edge 41 thereof; said tabs being receivable in depressions 31 on flange 28 in one position of ring 37 relative to flange 28. Ring 37 further includes a depending actuating element 42 having a pair of radially extending flanges 43 extending toward adjacent notches 39.

The ring 37 carries the individual iris leaves 44; each leaf having a convexly curved outer edge 45, concavely curved inner edge 46, a squared end edge 47 joining edges '45, 46 at one end thereof, and an arcuate end edge 48 joining edges 4'5, 46 at the other end thereof, as shown in FIG. 10. Each leaf 44 includes an integral depending actuating lug 49 located at the juncture of edges 45, 48; and anintegral tubular pivot protrusion 50 symmetrically disposed relative to edge 48.

Each leaf 44'is pivotally mounted on ring 37, with protrusion 50 thereof passing through an opening 38; the outerend of the protrusion being'upset against the undersurface of ring 37 and received in annular recess 51, as shown in FIG. 3. With iris assembly 36 disposed between cap wall 26 and flange '28, each of the actuating lugs, 4? on leaves 44, is received in a notch 30 in flange 28. Furthermore, actuating element 42 on ring 37 passes throughslot 35 in 'flange 28.

It will be apparent that upon rotating cap 20 relative to casing 11, cylindrical member 18 will rotate with cap 20 and thereby effect the raising or lowering of holder '14 through the action of cam sleeve If ring 37 can be restrained against movement, the rotation of flange 28 on member 18 will simultaneously move each leaf 44 by way of its actuating lug 49 in flange notches 30, the pivoted movement of said leaves being limited in either direction by stop notches 39 on ring 37. Thus, the leaves 44 will be moved from a radially extending position, shown in FIG.. 2'wherein the closure 36 is in its closed condition, to a circumferentially disposed position in overlying relation,'indicated in FIG. 3 wherein closure 36 is in its open condition.

The simultaneous movement of all iris leaves 44 between their fully open and fully closed positions should take place upon a relatively small angular movement of cap relative to casing 11. Such small angular movement should be but a portion of the total angular movement as between cap 20 and casing 11, whereby the closwe 36 is fully open before the tip of the ascending 1ipstick body L reaches the iris leaves 44 and allowing continued ascending movement of said lipstock body L to its fully projected position.

Similarly, when the lipstick body L is to be retracted into casing 11, the closure 36 is not actuated until said body L is depressed within the casing 11 and then followed by a rapid movement of leaves 44 to their closed position at the terminal end of the movement of cap 20 relative to casing 11. 3

Since the foregoing combined closure operating and lipstick body moving operations must include as one phase thereof relative movement between ring 37 and flange 28; and as another phase thereof conjoint movement of ring37 and flange 28; there is provided an improved clutching means generally designated at 52 and shown in FIG. 8.

i .Clutching means 52 takes the form of a split ring which islocated beneath flange 28 and between wall portion 22 pressed portion 54A of casing wall portion 22. The other end of ring 52 is formed with a radial, inwardly extending arcuate camlobeportion 55 for the purpose hereinafter appearing. On the inner edge of ring 52 there is formed a series of saw tooth serrations 57 located adjacent cam lobe 55, for the purpose later described. Also, ring 52 includes on its outer edge a radial projecting arcuate portion 58 which acts as a fulcrum for said ring in abutting relation to an inner surface portion of easing wall portion 22, for the purpose later described.

As indicated in FIG. 13, actuating element 42 on ring 37 projects downwardly through arcuate slot 35 in flange 28, with its flanges 43 adapted to engage serrations 57 on ring 52. Thus, assuming that lipstick body L is in its depressed position within casing "11, as indicated in FIG. 2, then leaves 44 will be in their radially extending position as shown in FIGS. 2, 13, the successive edges 45,

46 being overlapped to leave closure 36 in its closed position. One leaf 44A is provided with a circular end portion 59, as shown in FIG. 12, for closing the small central opening otherwise formed by the truncated ends of leaves 44.

Upon holding lipstick holder 10 in one hand and using the fingers of said hand to rotate the cap 20 relative to casing .11, then holder member 13 carrying lipstick body L starts to rise through the action of pin 17 in slots 16, 19 of cam sleeve 15 and tubular member 18 respectively. Simultaneously, by reason of the engagement of ring serrations 57 with ring actuating element 42, ring 37 will be restrained against rotation while tubular member 18 rotates with cap 20.

Accordingly, flange 28 of tubular .member 18 will actuate lugs 49 on leaves 44, 44A to pivot the same to their circumferential positions on ring 37, as shown in FIG. 14, thereby leaving closure 36 in its open position. Such pivoted movement of the iris leaves takes place during a very small angular movement of cap 20, thereby allowing the iris leaves to be fully opened before lipstick body L has ascended to a position wherein the tip thereof projects above cap bead 27.

Continued rotation of'cap 2i) will bring an outwardly pressed boss 60 on the upper wall portion of tubular member 18 immediately beneath flange 28 thereof, to engage cam lobe 55 on clutch member 52 and move the same radially outward, aided by the action of fulcrum .portion 58 of said member 52, thereby disengaging clutch teeth 57 from actuating element 42, as indicated in FIG. 14. Thus, ring 37 will now have conjoint movement with tubular member 18 for the remainder of its rotation to fully project lipstick body L.

Upon reversing the direction of rotation of cap 20 relative to casing 11, to depress lipstick body L within the casing, ring 37 will move with tubular member 18 until the cam lobe 55 on clutch member 52 moves ra-' dially inward to reengage teeth 5 7.thereof with ring actuating element 42, at the terminal portion of the cap rotation, at which time, ring 37 is restrained against rotation, thereby allowing fiange 28 onmember 18 to pivot leaves 44, 44A back to their radially extending, closed position shown in FIG. 13.

Inasmuch as the actuation of. iris leaves 44, 44A to their closed position occurs at the terminal end of the downward movement of lipstick body L within casingll,

-member?18 by reason of the 'pos'ition'of dependingtabs 40 on ring 37 relative to flange 28. Thusjwhen the closure ass in its open position, as'shown inFIG. 3,

Iabs-40 are received in the respective depressions 31 on flange 28, ring 37 being in its lowered position, allowing the circumferentially disposed, over-lapping leaves 44, 44A to fill the space between cap flange 26 and flange 28. As cap 20 is rotated relative to casing 11 to retract lipstick body L and to move leaves 44, 44A, to their closed position, tabs 40 on ring 37 will ride up out of depressions 31 on flange 28 and thereby simultaneously raise ring 37 to bring the inner ends of the iris leaves into substantial abutment with rolled edge 27 on cap 20, as indicated in FIG. 2. Actuating lugs 49 on leaves 44, 44A are of suflicient length to remain engaged infiange notches 30 in the raised or lowered positions of assembly 36. Similarly, actuating element 42 is of a length to allow proper engagement with teeth 57 of clutch member 52, in either position of ring 37. I The iris leaves of closure 36 may take a modified form, as shown in FIGS. l5, 16. Thus, leaf 61 is provided with a short pivot extrusion 62 receivable in openings 38 in ring 37 and having a length substantially equal to the thickness of ring 37. The depending actuating lug 63 on leaf 61, which is received in flange notches 30, as previously described, is formed with a hook portion 64 which is snapped into place on the underside of ring 37 to retain extrusion 62 in its opening 38, as indicated in FIG. 16. I

Furthermore, leaves 61 are formed on the portion thereof adjacent extrusion 62, with a transversely extending, tapered step 65, which allows an adjacent leaf to lie smoothly relative thereto, thereby avoiding a twist to theoverlying leaves in their open position and substantially eliminating cocking of the pivot 62.

As various changes might be made in the embodiments of the invention herein disclosed without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter shown or described shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A lipstick holder comprising a casing open at one end, a cap rotatably mounted on the open end of the casing, a lipstick holder arranged for elevated and depressed movement in said casing, means responsive to relative rotation of said cap and said casing for elevating and depressing said holder, said means including a tubular member, closure means for the open end of said casing comprising an iris diaphragm including a plurality of leaves arranged for simultaneous pivoted movement between open and closed positions, means for actuating said closure means in response to the relative rotational movement of the cap and easing, said actuating means including an annular flange on said tubular member, a ring member for pivotally mounting said leaves mounted on said annular flange, coacting means on said leaves and said annular flange for pivoting said leaves when said ring member is restrained against movement relative to said annular flange, and clutch means disposed between said casing and said tubular member and operative during a portion of the relative rotation between said cap and casing to restrain said ring member against movement and further operative during the remainder of the rotational movement of the cap relative to the casing to allow conjoint movement of said ring member and annular flange.

2. A lipstick holder as in claim 1 wherein said ring member is arranged for raised and lowered movement relative to said annular flange, and coacting means on said ring member and said flange for raising and lowering said ring member in response to relative rotation of said cap and casing.

3. A lipstick holder as in claim 1 wherein said clutch means comprises a split ring member having an anchor portion at one end thereof and means on said casing for engaging said anchor portion, the other end of said split ring member including a cam portion and means on said tubular member engageable with said cam portion during the rotation of said cap for renderingsaid clutch means inoperative, said split ring member having teeth on an edge portion thereof and said first mentioned ring member having means engageable with said teeth when said clutch means is operative.

4. A lipstick holder comprising a casing open at one end, a lipstick holder within said casing, means for elevating and depressing said holder including a tubular member within said casing, said tubular member having a radial, annular flange at the upper end thereof, an iris diaphragm closure assembly for the open end of said casing, said assembly comprising an iris leaf mounting ring mounted on said annular flange for relative and conjoint movement therewith, iris leaves pivotally mounted on said ring for movement between radial closed position and circumferential open position, coacting means on each leaf and said annular flange responsive to relative rotational movement between said ring and said annular flange, to effect simultaneous pivoted movement of said leaves, clutch means for restraining said ring against rotational movement, cap means rotatably mounted on the open end of said casing, said annular flange engaging said cap means for conjoint rotational movement relative to said casing whereby relative rotation of said cap and casing will elevate or depress said holder and will cause movement of said flange relative to said ring to open or close said iris diaphragm closure.

5. A lipstick holder as in claim 4 wherein said cap includes a radial, inwardly directed flange portion at the upper end thereof, said mounting ring being arranged for movement towards and away from said cap flange during the relative movement of said cap and casing, and coacting means on said mounting ring and said annular flange on the tubular member for moving said mounting ring towards said cap flange when relative movement of said cap and easing moves said leaves toward their closed position and for moving said mounting ring away from said cap flange when relative movement of said cap and casing moves said leaves to their open posiiton.

6. A lipstick holder as in claim 4 wherein said clutch means is disposed between the upper portions of said casing and said tubular member for engaging said mounting ring during a portion of the relative movement of the cap and casing to cause relative movement between said mounting ring and the annular flange of said tubular member to thereby cause pivoting movement of said leaves, and coacting means on said clutch means and said casing for rendering said clutch means inoperative during another portion of the relative movement of the cap and casing to cause conjoint movement of the mounting ring and the annular flange of the tubular member, whereby said holder'may have raised or depressed movement independent of the movement of said leaves.

7. A lipstick holder as in claim 5 wherein said first mentioned coacting means comprises an actuating lug de pending from each leaf and notches formed in said annular flange for receiving the respective actuating lugs, said lugs having a length suflicient to be received in the notches of said annular flange in the raised and lowered positions of said mounting ring relative to said annular flange.

8. A lipstick holder as in claim 6 wherein said last mentioned coacting means comprises a cam lobe on said clutch means and a boss on said casing engageable by said cam lobe for disengaging said clutch means from said mounting ring.

9. A lipstick holder as in claim 6 wherein said clutch means comprises a ring member having teeth formed on an inner edge portion thereof, and means on said mounting ring engageable with said teeth for restraining said mounting ring from rotational movement, said teeth and said last mentioned means having a slip clutch action when the relative movement of cap and casing extends beyond a predetermined angular movement of said leaves.

10. A lipstick holder as in claim 5 wherein said second mentioned coacting means comprises a plurality of spaced tabs depending from said mounting ring and depressions formed in said annular flange to receive said tabs when the mounting ring is in its lowered position away from said cap flange, said tabs engaging portions of said annular flange between the depressions therein when the mounting ring is in its raised position adjacent said cap flange.

11. A lipstick holder as in claim 7 wherein each leaf is formed with a pivot extrusion, said mounting ring being formed with openings to receive the pivot extrusions of the respective leaves, and hook means on said leaf actuating lugs for engaging surface portions of said mounting ring to retain the pivot extrusions in the openings in said ring.

12. A lipstick holder as in claim 4 wherein each leaf is formed with a transversely disposed tapered step adjacent the pivotal end thereof whereby said leaves in their circumferentially disposed, open position lying in overlapping relation will avoid twist of the overlapped leaves and cocking of their pivotal portions.

13. A lipstick holder comprising a casing open at one end thereof, an annular cap rotatably mounted on the open end of said casing, a lipstick holder member within said casing, means for elevating and depressing said member Within said casing, said means comprising a tubular member within said casing, said tubular member comprising an annular flange at the upper end thereof operatively connected with said cap for conjoint movement, an iris diaphragm closure for the open end of said casing, said closure comprising a leaf mounting ring mounted on said annular'flange for relative andconjoint rotational movement, a plurality of iris leaves pivotally mounted on said mounting ring for simultaneous movement between radial closed position and circumferential open position thereof, said annular flange being formed with circumferentially spaced notches, each leaf including a depending actuating lug received in said notches respectively, said annular flange being formed with an annular slot, said mounting ring including a depending actuating element passing through the slot in said flange, a split clutch ring disposed between said casing and said tubular member beneath the annular flange of said tubular member, said clutch ring being formed with teeth along an inner edge portion thereof for engagement by said actuating element, means. for restraining said ring against rotational movement relative to said casing, said actuating element upon engagement with the clutch teeth being operative to restrain said mounting ring against rotational movement relative to said annular flange thereby causing pivoted movement of said leaves, and coacting means on said clutch ring and said casing for moving the toothed portion of said clutch ring out of engagement with-the actuating element on said mounting-ring to allow conjoint rotational movement of said mounting ring and said annular flange after the leaves have been pivoted to their open position and-before the leaves are pivoted to their closed position, in response to'relative rotational movement of said cap and easing.

References Cited in the file 'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,969,142 Mack Jan. 24, 1961 

